Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit.
Owners have filed 207 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Toyota Sienna, and it carries 10 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 70 | 34% |
| Unknown or other | 24 | 12% |
| Electrical system | 13 | 6% |
| Tires | 10 | 5% |
| Steering | 8 | 4% |
| Electrical system | 7 | 3% |
| Air bags | 7 | 3% |
| Structure | 6 | 3% |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 3% |
| Engine | 4 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
Odometer Fraud. The contact owned a 2009 Toyota Sienna. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the vehicle was sold. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the sale, the vehicle mileage was 253,000. T
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The driver's side sliding door was stuck and I was struggling with it. Suddenly, the quarter panel window shattered (the window between the door and the back of the car) and the door came halfway off the track. It's impo
NHTSA complaint: Structure
On my 2009 Toyota Sienna XLE V6 FWD. The anti-slip indicator light improperly turns-on on dry roads at safe speeds. This causes a distraction to the driver.
NHTSA complaint: Steering
Vehicle has an unknown electrical draw this draining the battery every night, making vehicle unusable even in emergency. Mechanic has confirmed draw but is unable to find short.
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The cables for the rear power sliding doors snapped on my car causing the door to be jammed shut. When the second one broke approximately two weeks later it's snap back whipping nearly hitting my three-year-old son
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Out of nowhere my vehicle started making a whining noise and then stopped moving then all these lights popped on my Dash getting it towed to a shop to come to find out that the solenoids for the transmission had went bad
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Dashboard is sticky and extreme cracking. Makes it hard to see when sunlight hits dashboard. Have tried everything to try and get stickiness off. Nothing has worked.
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
The rear passenger side sliding door cable and motor assembly on the Toyota Sienna failed, causing the door to become completely inoperative (cannot open nor close) and the broken cable nearly cut my wife as it broke und
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2009 Toyota Sienna. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2005-2007 and 2009-2010 Toyota Sienna vehicles. In the affected vehicles, due to a problem within the shift lock assembly, the shift lever may be moved out of the 'Park' position without depressing the brake pedal.
Risk: If the shift lever can be moved from the "Park" position without depressing the brake pedal and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may roll, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid and reapply the grease, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affec
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Priu
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Sienna vehicles originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oh
Risk: If the carrier cable is corroded due to road salt, the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota sent owners in August 2014 an interim notification to advise owners of the recall and that dealers will perform an interim remedy to remove the spare tire and relocate it to the luggage compart
| Reliability raw | 52 | average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 71 | good |
| Maintenance | 76 | good |
| Depreciation | 92 | excellent |
| Performance | 57 | average |
| Efficiency | 36 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other minivans & vans in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 207 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and structure is the most reported area with 70 of them (34%). There are 10 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 52/100 (average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 71/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2009 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: be careful, because the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit. Its overall ownership score is 66/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.